Synopsis:
Stevie Hunter and Ororo go to see an Britain's Royal Ballet. While watching the ballet, Miss Locke enters their box and touches them with a fatal contact poison, a poison she has the antidote to! The poison is merely to buy their undivided attention as Miss Locke relates how and why Doom captured Arcade, that she would like the X-Men to rescue Arcade, and that many of the X-Men's family and friends have been captured to ensure that they will. Ororo falls unconscious, and when she awakes Stevie and Miss Locke are gone! She checks on Amanda Sefton and the Greys, but they are all missing. She returns to the mansion.

The X-Men contact Beast to get information about Dr. Doom from the Avengers. Wolverine argues that they can't submit to blackmail, they have to nail Murderworld so hard no one will attack their loved ones and friends again. Ororo agrees, and has a plan. Professor X telepathically contacts former X-Men Havok, Polaris, Iceman, and Banshee to provide extra manpower for the two-pronged assault. Team 1 (Storm, Angel, Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler) will rescue Arcade from Dr. Doom, buying time for Havok, Polaris, Iceman, and Banshee to rescue their friends from Murderworld.

Professor X was unable to contact Cyclops. That may be because he's just waking up on an unknown Caribbean beach where he and Lee Forrester may be the only inhabitants! Lee had been tossed overboard by a freak storm, and Scott dove in after her, and now they are stranded.

Doom's Castle, the Adirondacks. Storm makes a dramatic entrance and demands to speak with Dr. Doom. Dr. Doom emerges and consents to discussing Storm's demand (that he release Arcade) over dinner. Meanwhile the other X-Men in her team infiltrate the castle to rescue Arcade. Unfortunately for them, they find Arcade's cell empty, and are then set upon by men in battle suits. A fierce battle ensues with the X-Men victorious. In the dining room, Doom is monitoring the battle while engaging Storm in conversation. When it becomes apparent the battle suits have lost, Doom presents another of his guests - Arcade! Realizing its a trap, Storm attacks Doom, but he withstands the assault and hits Storm with a weapon that turns her into a statue. The other X-Men arrive seconds too late, only to be laid low by energy weapons. Colossus emerges unscathed, but Dr. Doom paralyzes him with a neural disruptor, and Doom is victorious!